Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi meet Tamil Nadu and Puducherry leaders to chart strategy for the 2026 Assembly elections, urging unity and discipline.

The Congress leadership has begun laying the groundwork for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, with a high-level strategy meeting held in New Delhi on January 17. The discussions were led by Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, who met senior party leaders from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

According to party sources, the meeting included collective deliberations as well as one-on-one interactions with individual leaders. The leadership heard diverse views and focused on strengthening the party’s organisational base in a state where Congress has traditionally played a secondary role within Dravidian politics.

While no final call was taken on alliances—amid speculation over continuing with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or exploring new political equations—the meeting unanimously authorised Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to take all strategic decisions at an appropriate time. Leaders were also directed to avoid public commentary or social media speculation on alliance matters and to maintain strict party discipline.

The discussions extended to Puducherry, where the local Congress unit informed the leadership about a proposed padyatra starting January 21, with senior leaders expected to participate.

By centralising decision-making, the Congress appears keen to prevent internal contradictions from weakening its position ahead of 2026. The emphasis on unity suggests sensitivity around alliance arithmetic, especially given past tensions over seat-sharing. For the party, expanding its limited footprint in Tamil Nadu will likely depend as much on organisational cohesion as on the final alliance call.